Babb’s body exhumed

Eight days after his body was mistakenly buried in a grave at the Longdenville Cemetery, the remains of retired police officer Carlton Babb were exhumed following a court order granted yesterday by Chaguanas Magistrate Nanette Forde John. The lone grave digger took about three hours to dig the deep grave containing the body of Babb, although he was later assisted by an official of St Rose Funeral agency. He consumed a few drinks of Puncheon rum to assist him in his task. The drama of the mix-up of bodies started last week when undertakers of Dass Funeral Home went to the Forensic Science Centre to collect the body of Baljit Lalla, 37, who was found dead at his Montrose home on the night of April 3. They claimed that an attendant at the Forensic Science Centre pointed to a body which he identified as Lalla.

The body was taken to Dass Funeral Home and later handed over to the Lalla family for burial. Last week, the Lalla family buried  Babb’s body believing it to be Lalla’s at the Longdenville Cemetery and were preparing to have Hindu rituals known as Shaving and Bandara, when they learned the news that the body which they buried was that of Babb. Lalla’s body was still at the Forensic Science Centre. Both the Babb and Lalla families were outraged at the mix-up. On Thursday, Lalla was finally laid to rest in a grave almost opposite to the grave where Babb’s body was exhumed yesterday. In pouring rain, relatives paid their final respects. Yesterday, Carlton Babb’s father Randy obtained a court order giving him permission to have his son’s body  exhumed.

The Chaguanas Borough Corporation assisted in the operation. Both the Lalla and Babb families gathered to view the process as well as ASP John Millette, Ag ASP Naipaul, Inspector Burt Raphael, Ag Sgt Ajith Persad, and  PC Christopher Langley of the Central Division. Under the watchful eyes of the officers and in the sweltering heat of the sun, the grave digger using a shovel and fork, dug open the grave. The body was viewed by a relative of Babb and the remains which were in a body bag were placed in a hearse and taken to the St Rose Funeral Services owned by Nicholas St Rose. Michelle Sahadeo, a relative of Baljit Lalla, told Newsday that the whole episode has left her family shocked and grieved. The Lalla family intend to take legal action in the matter. Ross Hinds, a relative of Babb, said that the funeral of Babb will take place on Monday. He too indicated that the Babb family will be consulting their attorneys to proceed with legal action in the matter.